Have you ever experienced a hound with limber tail? One of our adopters is asking because their dog’s tail suddenly stopped wagging and its kind of just hanging. ​

A from Emmy Sue

I'd never heard of it before you asked, but there's a fair amount of stuff on the internet about it. Other names for it: acute caudal myopathy; swimmer's tail; cold tail; cold water tail; broken tail; broken wag; sprung tail; dead tail; limp tail; rudder tail.

Here's a good article: https://www.ducks.org/hunting/retriever-training/a-lesson-in-limber-tailSwimming in very cold water is apparently a risk factor. The good news is that it doesn't usually last long, almost always less than a week, usually only a day or two, even without treatment. Another source, http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/limber-tail-syndrome-why-my-dogs-tail-limp , lists foxhounds as a breed that is known to get it. Apparently it is caused by overexertion of the muscles and ligaments at the base of the dog's tail, and can be very painful in the short term. The dog may be in considerable pain for several days, but like any form of overexertion, it can be avoided by stepping up the dog's activity level more slowly. It is most common in hunting breeds in the opening days of their sporting season. Pets, particularly ones that love to swim, sometimes get it on vacation. ​I have known a fair number of hounds with a permanent crimp in their tail, usually the result of an old break. Coonhounds wag their tails into solid objects a lot, and a surprising number get their tails broken as pups before they leave their mother. A broken tail should probably be set by a vet so it heals properly. The limber tail thing is usually way up at the base of the tail whereas tails usually break lower down when they are slammed into a door or stepped on by mom.

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Emmy Sue answers questions about coonhound behavior, including explanations of hunting behavior in pet situations, training tips, and anecdotes about odd coonhound and foxhound personality quirks. Readers are encouraged to contribute their own comments and suggestions.